This invention relates to toy vehicles, and more particularly to a remote-controlled tractor trailer toy having unusual action capabilities.
Remotely controlled toy vehicles have come to constitute a significant specialty toy market. Toy manufacturers attempt to duplicate well known vehicles, as well as the latest in automotive developments, including specialty entertainment vehicles. In addition, manufacturers constantly seek new ways and features to add innovative action to such toy vehicles to make them more versatile and/or entertaining.
By way of example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,698,044 issued to Kennedy et al. on Oct. 6, 1987, discloses an articulated toy vehicle having a motorized tractor section and a series of trailer sections linked together through a multi-segmented drive shaft. The multi-segmented drive shaft has an articulated joint between the tractor section and trailer section and between each subsequent trailer section. The articulated joint includes a ball with diametrically opposed pins on one drive shaft segment and a socket with diametrically opposed slots for receiving the ball and pins, respectively, on a subsequent drive shaft segment. In this manner, the toy vehicle can supply power to the wheels of the tractor section and each trailer section while adapting to varying terrain conditions.
According to one aspect of the invention, a toy vehicle comprises a tractor and a trailer. The tractor has a tractor body with an operating assembly configured to at least steer the tractor from a forward facing position to an opposite rearward facing position, and a tractor hitch assembly connected to at least one of the operating assembly and the body. The trailer has a trailer body and a tongue extending therefrom, and a trailer hitch assembly connected to the trailer tongue, and is countable with the tractor hitch assembly. The tractor and trailer are configured such that the tractor can steer from the forward facing position to the opposite rearward facing position and be longitudinally aligned under the trailer tongue at least essentially without interference with the trailer.
According to a further aspect of the invention, an articulated toy vehicle comprises a first vehicle portion having a first hitch connected thereto and a second vehicle portion having a second hitch connected thereto. The first hitch comprises a generally spherical base member, a first connector member extending from the base member, and a housing connected to the first vehicle portion. The housing has a generally spherical socket for receiving the base member and an opening through which the first connector member extends for coupling with the second hitch assembly.
According to an even further aspect of the invention, an articulated toy vehicle comprising a first vehicle portion having a plurality of road wheels; a second vehicle portion having a plurality of road wheels; and an articulated coupling between the first vehicle portion and the second vehicle portion; the first and second vehicle portions and the articulated coupling being configured and positioned such that the first vehicle portion can be rotated at least 360xc2x0 around the articulated coupling and completely beneath the second vehicle portion at least essentially without interference between the first and second vehicle portions with all of the road wheels of the first and second vehicle portions supported by a level surface beneath the toy vehicle.